Aloha!
Many homebound kūpuna live in isolation, and now many more are choosing to remain safely at home. As Christmas nears, our phones ring daily with requests for home-delivered meals. In 2021, we delivered an average of 15,000 meals each month.
As the year comes to a close, people continue to ask me, “What can I do to help?” Your partnership with Hawai‘i Meals on Wheels is evident that you care for our isolated and fragile kūpuna. When you make a gift, you can help change lives like 96-year-old Bettie:
Living alone in Waipio, confined to her wheelchair and battling rheumatoid arthritis, Bettie struggled to cook meals for herself.
“My meals used to consist of American cheese, crackers, hardboiled eggs, mustard, cereal, and Ensure. I’d buy a big box, and I’d get so tired of eating Raisin Bran. Living off cereal is no fun.”
A woman from Bettie’s church reached out to Hawai‘i Meals on Wheels for support. Bettie started receiving meals within a few days.
“Thank God for Hawai‘i Meals on Wheels! They provide well-balanced meals. The variety is unbelievable! Where can you get roast turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy with salad and then lemon chicken the following day?”
Bettie got something that most of us don’t think twice about –nourishing meals.
Meals are delivered to her front doorstep Monday through Friday, and she looks forward to talking story with our staff and volunteers. Her spirit is lifted by these brief but meaningful moments of human interaction from a safe distance.
“The five days of my deliveries are highlights for me, and they bring me lots of joy and pleasure. The volunteers who deliver my meals are absolutely fantastic. They take the time to discuss what I’m doing – crocheting, word search, or mahjong. They make me me smile and look forward to every new day,” she said.
I too have hope because I’ve seen the huge difference nutritious meals with a heaping side of aloha can do. And you can make a difference, too! Click HERE to make a gift.
Delivering a higher number of meals to those like Bettie has stretched our budget like never before. We expect to continue to see the effects of the pandemic. I would like to ask you to consider supporting homebound kūpuna both during this holiday season and in preparation for challenges in the new year.
For many of our kūpuna, just knowing there is someone who is willing to show up, listen, and care is very comforting. Your donation, no matter what amount, will have a positive impact on the lives of vulnerable seniors. Make the season bright for our kūpuna by making a generous tax-deductible contribution before the end of the year. You are the power behind our work!
Serving kūpuna together,
Michelle Cordero-Lee
Hawai‘i Meals on Wheels CEO
